Lie of April
by Molinebar2
Summary: Ever since Yang Xiao Long met Neo, she's been having to lie to herself, over and over. She tells herself she despises that ice-cream girl, and that she definitely isn't in love. However, she knows that she can't lie forever. Things have to change. (Baked Alaska Yang x Neo, based on the song "Lie of April")
1. The First Lie

**A/N: Alright, before we get on with the story, here's some background information~**

**This fic will likely be around 3 or four chapters, since technically, it's a songfic. It's based off the GUMI Vocaloid song, titled "Lie of April", just like the title of this story. I recommend either listening to the song or reading the English lyrics before or after reading this, but it's not essential. If you're lazy, you can just continue on. XD**

**And that's all I've got to say. Without further ado, enjoy the story, and don't forget to leave any feedback. :)**

* * *

><p><span><strong>The First Lie<strong>

"Do you like her?

"What kind of question is that? Seriously. I really hate her. What a terrible person she is..."

With those words, my mess of a journey began.

I knew for sure that if the girl I was talking about was able to do so, or had heard my statement, she would have said something smug like, 'thank you very much'. That's the type of nuisance I found Neo to be, after all.

There I was, Yang Xiao Long, standing before my battle partner, Blake. I let out a frustrated huff of air, folding my arms as she raised an eyebrow at me. I don't know why she needed to ask that pointless question in the first place, but I wasn't about to lie about anything. I absolutely despised that ice-cream resembling girl - and apparently, that needed to be pointed out to Blake. There was zero chance I would like a girl like that, let alone _love _her in the way my partner was implying.

Breathing a sigh, the faunas shook her head. "Alright, if you say so." I wasn't about to let the conversation end just there, though. It was too sudden to be dropped that easily.

"Why do you ask, anyway? I seriously want to _rip her short body to pieces, _what makes you think I could like someone like that?" The other paused for a moment, seeming quite awkward to answer my question. She just shrugged, wearing a frown.

"Honestly, I don't know... actually... ah, yeah... your sister wanted me to ask, since she's suspicious of this kind of stuff. You know Ruby. If there's any connection between two people, she'll want them to be together-together." As I listened to the words, I hummed in thought. There was no doubting that much, but I couldn't help thinking it was an excuse to settle Blake's own curiosity.

Oh well. I didn't really care, after all. It was a stupid question, I didn't need to think about it any longer.

"Well, alright then. If you say so." I brushed aside. "Now, if you don't mind, we probably have to meet up with the others before they start searching for us. We _did _leave the cafeteria on a short notice, so..." Rubbing the back of my head, I noticed Blake nod her head in agreement.

"Right. Let's... go, then."

. . .

When I had that conversation, everything was crystal clear. I hated Neo, I hated her so much, and that was that. There were no but's about it, no doubts, not a single sign of respect for the girl at all. However, it only took a week for all that to suddenly change.

It was late at night. It was just another night were I wasn't able to sleep; I was too restless, tossing and turning too much in my bed to do anything else. To save me the trouble and discomfort, I decided to get up out of bed and wander around the school grounds for a bit. Hopefully, that would tire me out enough, and I could get some sleep soon.

Slipping quietly from my dorm room, I wore a simple pair of pants and a singlet as I closed the door. The hallways that were usually bustling throughout the day were completely silent, and a few small lamps illuminated them through the darkness. _'How calming.' _I noted to myself, genuinely enjoying their presence.

Ignoring the cold atmosphere, I released a heavy breath. I didn't know where to go, but, I let my feet carry me through the school. I turned wherever I felt it was appropriate, not thinking about my destination in the slightest. I just wanted ot kill some time, and burn some energy.

Within minutes, I'd found myself standing on top of one of Beacon's main buildings, enjoying the scenery from the dormitory rooftops. The canvas of night blanketed the sky with darkness and stars, something that I came to admire with the more I stared up at it.

"It really is pretty, out tonight..." I whispered to myself. Taking steps further out onto the rooftop, I spun on my heels, turning around the see my surroundings. Everything seemed so... still. So lifeless at night. It was almost no one had ever inhabited the area to begin with, and yet, it all was so peaceful.

Feet beginning to throb from my walking, I slumped to the concrete floor, sitting on the cold pavement. I leant back on my arms as I stared upwards, lilac eyes shining just like the flickers of light above me. I couldn't think of any word to describe how I felt at that moment, other than content.

That peace crumbled all too fast for my liking, though.

Footsteps. That sound was what broke the silence and world of happiness that I'd built up overnight. My cautious barrier switched on instead, and I became weary of my surroundings. I didn't make a sound, didn't breath as I listened out for more noises.

Surely enough, the footsteps grew louder. The more I focused on them, the more they frightened me. Why would anyone else be out here at this time of night? Moreover, those footsteps sounded heavier than usual. Why would anyone be wearing thick high heels, like what it seemed to be?

_Pat, pat, pat, _the sound gradually echoed behind me. I wasn't able to quell my curiosity, and with all caution necessary, I snapped my head around to face the noise. _"Who's there?" _I demanded through the darkness, not seeing a single shadow in my view, let alone another person. Everything was dark - the entry of which I came through, the sky, the walls, the floor. I hated it.

At my words, the footsteps stopped. I seemed to have startled whoever it was, which was great. They had startled me, so it was like an equivalent exchange. Perfect. However, underneath that feeling of triumph grew my fear. I didn't have any other senses to rely on to know someone was there, behind me. Heart pounding in my chest, I swallowed.

Surely enough, it only took a moment before the footsteps returned. My body jolted from surprise, and with my face beginning to heat from nerves and embarrassment, I kept my gaze over my shoulder. However, the footsteps became near useless within seconds - a figure came into view, and soon, the other person's entire face was visible through the darkness.

Now standing only a metre or so away from me, was another girl. Someone of whom I recognised within seconds.

Someone who wasn't supposed to be here, at this school.

Shooting up to my feet, I stumbled around to face the other person. I could feel the rage bubbling up within my chest, and my fists subconsciously clenched beside me. My eyes were glaring straight towards the other person.

Neo.

"Wha..." At first, I was at a loss for words. I didn't know how to react to the sight of that confident smirk again, that annoyance. What replaced that confusion though was pure anger, an emotion that was almost too quick to finally take over. "What do you think _you're _doing, showing your face around here?"

Was it fate, or coincidence? I didn't know why we would always end up running into each other, in the most inconvenient of situations. I didn't really care either. I had another plan in mind, and I didn't need to think of any reasons why.

I cracked my knuckles. I really, _really _wanted to destroy that face of her's.

But, she didn't say a word, as per usual. I'd taken the hint that she was unable to speak by then, so I'd learnt to ignore it. Instead, she took steady steps towards me, causing me to have to look down further to meet her multi-coloured gaze. She looked almost playful as she strolled up to me, hands behind her back, umbrella in hand.

I wasn't about to take the action lightly though, stepping back on instinct. She _was _our enemy, after all - she worked under Roman Torchwick. _Roman Torchwick. _I wasn't about to let her get away. "I don't know _what _you've come here for, but I won't let you have your way." With my voice low and harsh, I threw my most poisonous words, but they bounced off her. Neo didn't seem affected in the slightest.

Growling under my breath, I rolled my eyes. She wasn't doing anything but blinking, innocently looking back up at me. It was pissing me off, just like every other mannerism she displayed. _Nothing but annoying._

"Seriously. Neo, you made a mistake, walking into this place." As I continued to glare, she gave me a wider smirk. "...running into me probably wasn't the best luck you've had, either."

Though at that moment, I stopped.

Neo placed her hands over her ears, one of the most insulting gestures I've ever seen her take towards me. She idly looked around, taking in her surroundings as she kept her hands there, grinning.

_"You're not even going to listen to me? Are you serious?" _I felt like screaming. What was up with this girl, anyway? What did she want to do? And more importantly, _why me?_

I couldn't take it anymore.

Storming up to her, I grabbed her by the collar, harshly tugging her up to meet my eyes directly. I don't know how she managed to, but her hands remained over her ears. Her eye twitched from the sudden movement, but her smirk stayed - nothing else changed, which only caused me more frustration.

_"Seriously? You're not even going to fight back? Just what is wrong with you today?" _Without a thought, the words slipped from my mouth. I raised my other fist beside my head, holding it in line with Neo's face. It would have been helpful, had I not left Ember Celica back in the dorm, but my bare fists would have to do. It took all my strength to not smash it in, right then and there.

But, Neo didn't react at all, avoiding my gaze. She still covered her ears, feet barely brushing against the floor.

_'No one would care how much I beat her up, right? As long as she's in one piece when I hand her in...?' _Those were the words that ran through my head before I felt my patience snap, and my restraints vanish completely.

Clenching my teeth together, I took that moment to swing my fist with full force towards the other's face. What followed seemed like such a blur though, and before my fist could actually hit it's target, I felt a blunt pain erupt from my stomach. Jerking backwards from the kick I'd received, I released the other from my grasp, stumbling.

I heard the clicking of Neo's heels meeting the ground as I hunched over, clutching at my throbbing abdomen. The pain only caused more rage and energy to soar through my body however, and I wasted no time straightening back up.

Pushing from the ground, I let out a cry as I rushed towards the girl, flying more punches her way. My attacks were met with thin air as she dodged, carefully brushing aside each hit. Even when I tried swinging in for a kick, with an evasive step, I was easily avoided.

It was frustrating - especially since throughout the entire fight, she kept her hands cupped over her damn ears.

_What was she trying to do, anyway? _Drive me over the edge with annoyance? Because she was succeeding.

Just as I grunted, putting more than enough force into one more of my merciless punches, Neo spun out of the way, standing behind me. Before I could react, or do anything simple like take another harsh breath, I felt a tug from the back of my head.

And I froze.

She had a grip on my hair.

If my eyes weren't blazing red already, they definitely turned a deep shade of it at that moment. As restless as I felt, I couldn't move from my position, or else she would just tug on my hair more. So, reluctantly as I burnt with rage, I waited.

By the time I felt her release my locks though, Neo stood right in front of me. Wasting no time, I raised up a fist, but before I could make another move, my vision was coated in white. It wasn't for any big, particular reason, either.

A piece of paper was shoved into my face, the crumpling of its surface being heard as it pressed up against my forehead. Puzzled, and astonished at the spontaneous act, I took a step back. Surely enough, Neo had outstretched a piece of paper towards me, and now that I was a distance away, I could read the neat handwriting on the page.

_"The best night is coming."_

That's what was so strangely scribbled on the page.

"What the hell...?" Before I could question it further though, I looked up towards the other girl, still fuming with rage. She was quick to drop the piece of paper, letting it flutter to the ground as she gave me a wink.

_A wink?_

The action just set me off even more, the energy flowing through me becoming hard to ignore, and the anger beginning to take over completely. Ready for another strike, I took a step forward, launching another fist straight towards her chest.

Just like that though, she jumped backwards from me - and, literally in a flash, she was gone. She'd teleported, she'd disappeared.

Time seemed to slow down around me, as I stood dumbfounded, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

_Neo's gone._

Before I knew it, my rage had doubled over again, and the words were already beginning to overflow as I screamed out into the night.

_"Agh, what the absolute hell!?" _My hands flew to my temples, as I grasped at my hair. "You're _REALLY annoying, you know that!? REALLY freakin' annoying!" _

Not only had I failed once more to lay a single hit on the girl, she'd mocked me once more, toyed with me just like always. She'd left behind some stupid note, which didn't even make sense, and had left Beacon without a trace. I'd let her escape - it was my fault.

But, before I could even begin to think over my actions and feel ashamed, I sighed, coming to another thought instead.

"...I'm actually glad, you know?" I spoke to the air. "I'm so happy that you, whom I hate so much, have disappeared." That was how I saw things - sure, she'd caused me all this grief and annoyance, but _at least _she was gone now. No more smug looks, no more notes. I could forget any of that ever happened.

I looked over the note on the ground, picking it up. The more I read over it, the less sense it made. Without another thought, I crumpled it into a ball, squashing it with all the left-over energy I had. I hated this. I hated how everything turned out this way. I hated making mistakes, being a failure, not being good enough...

I really hated Neo.

And that wasn't a lie.

Throwing the note over the edge of the rooftop, I stormed away from the scene, quietly heading back to my dorm...

...only to find that, instead of being tired, I was even more awake than before.


	2. The Second Lie

**The Second Lie**

Several months had passed since that night, and my mind was still in a complete mess.

During the day, throughout the night, I found that Neo was the only thing I thought about. Memories of those events would replay constantly, over and over, reminding me of what happened. No matter what I did, I wasn't able to forget a single thing that happened - especially not that damn smirk, or that confusing note she left behind.

_"The best night is coming."_

I still didn't know what that was supposed to mean.

In fact, every few nights since then, I'd been determined to find out. Just like I had done, I would slip out into the night while everyone else was asleep, and head to the rooftops. It was a stupid plan, I told myself, but I had hope. For some reason, I kept visiting that same place at the same time, just in case I would run into Neo again.

But, no matter how many times I followed that plan, I never once turned up with any clues or sight of that tri-coloured girl.

_Riiiiiiiing!_

Interrupting my thoughts like a hammer pounding against my skull was the sound of the school's bell, ringing in my ears. With a wince and a jolt of surprise, I looked around, only to see students already filing out of the large classroom. I sighed to myself, blowing a few strands of my fringe about in the process.

As I rose from my seat, I felt a hand on my shoulder. Immediately, I looked in the direction it came from, finding my surprised eyes meeting my sister's. "Hey, sis?" she weakly called, with a smile. "We're all going to head straight back to our dorm, okay? There's something we need to talk about."

Though curious to the sudden change of plans - usually, we would join Team JNPR, Sun and Neptune in the cafeteria at this time - I nodded my head, deciding to keep my mouth shut. Twitching her mouth in response, Ruby was quick to turn back around, following the rest of our team out of the classroom door. Silently, I followed right behind.

. . .

When we arrived at our dorm room once again, I yawned. The day had been pretty nondescript, even if it wasn't the end of the day just yet. As I was last to walk in, I shut the door behind me with a click, before climbing up to sit on my bed. It was the most comfortable spot in the entire room, after all.

With my legs crossed, I leaned over the side of the bed, looking down among the rest of my teammates. They all were talking in hushed voices, standing together in a small pack just between the two bunk beds. I blinked. "So, team... what are we gonna talk about?"

As soon as the innocent words came from my mouth, I received the three gazes that I expected. Looking up at me, Ruby, Weiss and Blake all shared the same kind of expression - one definitely more grim and serious than the one I wore. Tilting my head to the side, I remained oblivious to their intentions, waiting with a pout. "Uh, guys?"

"It's funny you would ask that, actually..." Blake explained, though it could hardly be called 'explaining'. I didn't get what she meant at all.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well, Yang, it's been long enough... so, we need to talk about you." was how Weiss responded.

I blinked once more. "...huh?" That was the only word that came from my mouth as I stared back down, dazed at the response I'd been given. "What does _that _mean? Talk about me? But, I'm sitting right here. There's... not much to talk about if I'm in the room, is there...?"

Blake shook her head, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Her gaze wandered around the room as she spoke, looking almost concerned about something. "Actually, there is... we need to ask you some things, that's all. Some important things." she continued. "It's been months now, since I first realised it... but... you've been acting a little strangely lately."

"Strange...ly...?" Mindlessly, I repeated what had been told to me. My volume was dropping with each sentence, and the pressure was just piling on. When I first walked into the room, it was obvious that I hadn't expected to talk about anything like _this. _

"Yeah... like Blake said. And also, it's all of us. I mean, we've all been noticing changes in you..." Ruby picked up, taking a seat on Weiss' bed. "Things like, like... how you've been eating so little lately, you've been skipping out on certain meals... you've been isolating yourself from the group a lot just to come here, and sleep during the day... you've been spending a lot of time alone, actually. You've been dazing out in class, talking to yourself..."

"...have I really been doing that much?" Taking the pause she took, I released the question on my mind, frown still on my face. The more I listened to my sister's saddened tone, the more disappointed I felt. The worst part was, I didn't even notice I'd been doing those things. I just acted in a way that felt right - and because a lot had been clouding my mind, those acts were what I found myself doing, apparently.

"Yeah, you have... it's been getting worse as time goes by, and to put it bluntly, we've all been worried about you. Even Jaune asked if you were doing okay a few days ago." she continued. So they _were _concerned about something, after all... still, that realisation only made me feel that much worse. How could I not have realised what I was doing? I felt so stupid.

"Is that... so..." I muttered, finding nothing else to say. I was at a loss for words, really. Although thoughts of Neo still lingered in the back of my mind, the guilt of this situation weighed it down. To be so caught up in other issues, that I subconsciously took on a different attitude... what wasn't there to feel bad about?

The room fell silent for a few moments, allowing me time to think and gather my thoughts. Even so, when Blake spoke up and broke that silence, I wasn't ready to give a response. "Yang, we just want to know if something happened... if something's bothering you. We all know you wouldn't do something like this without a reason." With my gaze averted to the side, I listened to her heart-felt words, guilt deepening. "Please... we're your teammates. Your friends. You can tell us whatever it is that's making you act differently, and we'll understand."

"We just wanna help you." Ruby added on the end. I glanced up just in time to see her flash a gentle smile, before it faded out into an upset frown. Seeing such a thing hurt, it really did, but I couldn't do anything but brush it aside.

In fact, my entire heart hurt, but I couldn't do anything about that. I wasn't about to tell them about my encounter with Neo, that was ridiculous. It happened _months _ago. If I told them that, I'd surely get in some form of trouble, or I'd be judged, at the least. If I just told them about the note, without saying who'd left it, that wouldn't be much better, either. I'd be questioned, and I'd just have to keep lying.

But then again, I didn't have any other choice but to lie, did I?

Biting on my bottom lip, I entered an serious world of thought. I didn't know what to do, but I couldn't just do nothing anymore. I couldn't keep quiet, I had to say _something, _or else this mess would never end. Was the truth too much? Would they even believe me? There was so much on the line, I didn't know whether to risk it or not.

"I..." The word came from my mouth before I could comprehend it. Now I definitely needed to say something - and fast. Working my mind harder than I ever had before, I fumbled for the words, feeling my palms begin to sweat. I didn't have any courage to look up at the others, staring at the wall beside me as I swallowed.

_'Here goes...'_

"I'm tired." That was all I said.

The room fell silent, after I said those mere words.

I wasn't finished yet, but I could only imagine how confused everyone was at that statement. With quiet sigh, I picked up from the terrible point I'd left off.

"As in, I've been exhausted... absolutely sick and tired of... well, everything." I started slowly, in a soft tone. I wasn't sure if the others would even believe me, but I decided to keep going. "It's just... ever since that day when the train crashed, and all this mess with Torchwick started, I haven't been able to take a single break... it's the stress... you know? The only way I could deal with it was to take subtle changes every day, that would give me space... I didn't mean to... worry you guys, or anything."

As my heart pounded in my chest, shouting that it was alive, my mouth described of how I felt tired.

That was the lie I told them.

As I continued on, the other three remained silent, not a single one interrupting me or questioning what I had to say. I could tell they were listening closely to my words, and so, I made sure not to show the slightest hint of hesitation.

"Really... I know I shouldn't be so worked up over something as small as this, but... I am. Everything that's happened, it's just bugging me so much... the White Fang, the future of Beacon..." But as I drew a pause in my explanation, and thought about my words, I found someone else replaced the silence.

"...it's also got to do with that Neo girl, doesn't it...?" Blake's cautious voice stabbed straight through my heart, as I stared in awe at the sudden words. Neo... I could feel my chest heating from frustration, at the simple mention of her name. To save myself from overheating, I closed my eyes, exhaling slowly. The tension in my chest decreased.

"It's unclear what her direct relation to Torchwick is, but she's aiding him in some way, and that's all we know. I... would understand if you felt frustrated over it, especially after what happened last time you two..."

"Yeah, alright, fine." I interrupted my partner with a snap of anger, presumably sending her into a startled state. "I'm... I'm frustrated over Neo. Her, especially. That stupid smirk of her's, and the way she mocked me...! It's humiliating. I attend one of the most prestigious academies of the entire kingdom, and yet, to know that my absolute best isn't good enough... it's really, really, frustrating!"

Even as I spoke those words, I could feel my heart thumping constantly against my chest. Not once did it slow down, nor did it allow me time to calm myself. I didn't want to lash out on my own teammates, since they had nothing to do with this, but I was really frustrated. Getting the words off my chest was a relief, but not relieving enough.

"...so that's whats really been bugging you, huh?" my sister calmly asked, toning down the harsh atmosphere. She still sat on the edge of her partner's bed, staring up at me through the corner of her eye. She wore a gentle smile, and I could tell by just that, that she was trying to keep strong. "In that case, let me tell you something."

Shifting in my seat, I took a deep breath. I was prepared to listen, and didn't say another word. She simply continued, taking that as her cue to speak. "Yang, it might feel like your best isn't good enough now, but... with time, things are only going to get better. You're going to get better. How long has it been since you've seen that girl, anyway...? It's been almost half a year."

'A few months, actually.' I retorted in my head. There was no way I was going to admit that fact out loud.

"Who knows, you could be better than her by now. You won't know for sure, but its a possibility. And sure, you might still be a little weaker than her, but... you can use that as motivation, can't you? You can use that as your drive, so you can focus on improving and growing stronger than you already are." That was how she concluded her speech.

I was left a little stunned by the suddenness of it all. Ruby and the others were all quick to help and support me, even if it was over something stupid like this. What I wanted could be classified as revenge or payback, and yet, they were still by my side.

And, because of that, I came to nod my head.

A smile began to draw on my face, as I came closer to collecting myself. My anger began to fizzle away, and as I released a sigh, I felt a weight come off my shoulders. "Yeah... I guess... you're right." I responded, running a hand through my hair. "I'll... I'll do that from now on, then. Try to really get better, I mean."

I could feel Ruby's pride beaming from her as she turned to look over at me, smile stretching across her face. "You... that's good to hear, then." she replied, in a bubbly manner. "And plus. If you encounter more struggles along the way... just remember that we'll all be here for you, okay? If you need help, we'll be right there."

"Yeah, alright... thanks. A lot." With a clumsy smile, I gave my thanks, though I couldn't put my gratefulness into words. 'Thanks' didn't seem quite right, but it was the only thing I could settle on saying.

"No problem at all." was the response I got.

That was how our discussion came to a close.

For some reason though, I knew that smile on my face wasn't genuine. Everything Ruby had told me, about motivation and striving to become stronger than Neo... something about it felt wrong. Something tugged at my feelings, and caused me to believe that doing such a thing was impossible - that punishing her wasn't what I wanted to do.

I knew I hated Neo. I was sure that wasn't a lie.

And yet, something about that still didn't feel right.


	3. The Last Lie

**The Last Lie**

_Thump, thump, thump._

_My heart raced in my chest like it often would, as we walked through the busy city streets. After minutes of endless walking, without any breaks, my legs were beginning to strain beneath me. Sweat beaded down my forehead as the sun continued to beat down on our team, making it hard to breath._

_Another lifetime seemed to pass by us before I finally came to a stop. It was more accurate to say that my body stopped moving though, and my mind drew a blank as I stared in the distance. It took a moment for the others to notice that I wasn't following, walking ahead a few metres before turning back to check on me. I only saw all that from the corner of my eye, as I was too caught up in the sight of what was ahead of me to bother checking._

_It was a silly thing to stop by, it really was. I felt like a little child, especially with how I'd stopped right in the middle of a pathway for it, but I didn't care. I knew what my body wanted - and that was to approach the object in my sight. _

_"Yang? What are you doing? Come on, we have to keep going!" I heard Weiss call from beside me, but I dismissed it with a blink. Heat radiated from my body as I stared and stared in awe, concentrating on that one spot. _

_"What are you looking at?" Hearing footsteps, I knew my partner Blake had joined beside me, desperately looking in the direction I was staring at. I couldn't answer at first, too caught up in my thoughts to bother trying to explain out loud. "Seriously, what could be so interesting...? Hey, why aren't you talking?"_

_Shaking through my skull like an electric shock, the words caught my attention. It seemed even my teammates were just reminding me of..._

_Blinking repeatedly, my eyes darted all around me, shifting from the object in my vision to my teammates in an erratic cycle. "H-Huh? Huh? What? O-Oh, um, right." I stuttered, trying to get a hold of myself. _

_"Really, what _are _you doing...?" Ruby asked, approaching me also. I rubbed the back of my head, feeling more than nervous as my cheeks blazed with red. I was embarrassed _and _boiling in the heat, two things that influenced this change of colour._

_"Ah..." I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to take any longer pondering either, and so, I resulted in being terribly blunt with my response. Pointing a finger towards the object of my interest, I spoke in an innocent tone. "...can we get ice-cream?" _

_The others paused. I knew they were judging me for acting in such a childish way, but with a round of laughter, they played it off. "Sure, sure! That was kinda sudden, but it seems like a good idea." Ruby agreed, with a large smile. I couldn't help feeling relieved at the words, finger falling from the ice-cream truck across the road._

_Alongside the other three, I approached the white truck, walking with a light bounce in my gait. I felt almost overjoyed - but for once, I did know why. _

_Ice-cream reminded me of _her, _that's why._

_And she made me happy._

_Time seemed to pass in a great blur around me, and everything flew by us in an instant. Before I knew it, we were on our journey again, happily walking down the pathway with an ice-cream cone in each of our hands. We chatted as we walked, passing even more time. _

_"So, why _did _you want to suddenly get ice-cream, Yang?" Weiss asked, talking over her shoulder, since she was walking at a faster pace than I. Looking up from my cone, I blinked, caught by the sudden question._

_"Hm? Is there something wrong with wanting ice-cream on a day like this...?" I responded. "I mean, I wasn't sure I could take any more walking without a break or anything, so... I thought, 'why not?'" _

_The other shrugged it off, sighing. "Well, if you say so." _

_"You know, if you ask me, it was a pretty good idea, Weiss." Ruby chimed in, turning to the girl next to her._

_"And if you ask _me, _having ice-cream just reminds me of that... girl. Neo, or whatever." Blake's words instantly gained my attention once more, and I couldn't help widening my gaze. Sure, that's exactly what I had thought the entire time, but I didn't expect anyone else to think the same thing._

_"Oh, yeah! Now that you mention it, it reminds me of her, too!" My sister continued, beaming happily. "Wasn't she that really short girl, with three colours in her hair...? The one that you tried to punch in the face, on multiple occasions?" I only realised her words were directed at me at that last statement, to which I puffed out my cheeks and chest._

_"Yeah, I guess so." I stated, in a rather proud tone. "Hey, she would have deserved it, though. Always smirking, and being confident, and being annoying..." Before I realised it, I'd begun to rant on about Neo's annoying tendencies, recalling all the previous times we'd met and fought. In fact, there wasn't a time when we met and we _hadn't _fought, really._

_Ruby just giggled, throwing an arm behind her head. "Aww, sis...! It sounds like you have some high school crush when you talk like that, you know?" she pointed out, making a comment that I was almost appalled to hear. Giving a playful roll of my cheeks, I averted my gaze to the bushes we passed as we walked._

_"Huh? What's _that _supposed to mean? I just think she's annoying, nothing else...!" Though no matter how I tried to defend myself, the red-head laughed, growing more amused by the second. I didn't even want to know what was going through Weiss' or Blake's heads._

_"Yeah, right, if you say so!" She laughed once more into the sunlight. "Are you _suuuuure _you don't _like _her at aaaaaall?" _

_With my patience running low, heart racing, and the heat from above making my anger twice as fragile as ever, I let out a sigh of defeat. Denial was such a hard act to put on sometimes - no, always._

_Folding my empty hand over my chest, I kept my eyes averted and my cheeks puffed out. "...okay, so what if I do?" I spat, words running into each other._

_In disbelief, Ruby paused, making the silence that followed awkward. However, what followed was definitely worse than a thick silence. She began to squeal, resembling some excited fangirl meeting their favourite celebrity on stage, as she flailed her empty arm around. She nearly hit Weiss on multiple occasions, but she didn't stop until she began ranting back at me._

_"Ooh, sis...! That's so cool...! So sweet! It's like a forbidden relationship - forbidden love! Kinda like those two people from that play, Romeo and Juliet, or whatever...! Ah, I knew it, I knew it, I_ just _knew it!" My sister drew quite the amount of attention her way as we continued down the streets, my face flaming like I'd never felt it before._

_What was I supposed to do, though? I'd just admitted my secret out loud, to myself, to my teammates and closest friends. There was no going back._

_...but, I still felt happy about it. _

_Something about getting that off my chest was enlightening. Refreshing. It was almost like I was brand new. _

_With a playful roll of my eyes, I drowned out Ruby's words, continuing to eat my melting ice-cream. "Whatever."_

. . .

...and just like that, my dream faded away, and was replaced with reality.

When I awoke from one of the worst, unrealistic dreams I've ever had, I was annoyed, to say the least. What made me have such a dream? I had no idea. Why did I remember it so vividly? I had no idea. And most importantly, _why did I have feelings for Neo in that dream? _Again, I had absolutely no idea.

Memories of the day prior came after the sequence of that dream, gradually coming to me slowly as I groaned in my bed. Yesterday was the day I'd had that talk with the rest of my team, and had finally got most of my issues off my chest. _Most _of them. I'd told them about how frustrating Torchwick and Neo were, but that was it.

Even as I remembered that though, I didn't ponder on it for longer than a few minutes. That dream, _that _dream, _that god damn dream _was still on my mind, lingering, setting off my anger early in the morning. I wasn't even sure what time it was, but I knew that it was definitely too early to be in such a horrid mood.

_'What the hell...?' _I though to myself, eyes slowly blinking open. _'What kind of messed up scenario _was _that...? I've never had a dream like that before... no, I've never even mentioned Neo in my dreams before. Which is a good thing, but anyway...' _

As my eyes adjusted to the light, I shifted in my bed, patting the back of my hair down. _'...what am I getting so worked up about, anyway? It's just one of those dreams that reflect something impossible... like, a dream where you have feelings for one of your friends, even if you don't in real life. Ah, well, Neo isn't even my friend in this case, but that's the same kinda thing, right...? It's the same case, just with someone I despise...?' _

That theory seemed to make sense in my mind.

...not really.

Just like the day before, something about it seemed... off. I didn't have any evidence, it was just a feeling - it felt wrong, and I didn't know why. An itchiness clawed at my brain, making it seem ridiculous. It was like someone else was planting that hunch in my head, because I had no real reason to believe that.

But I did. I doubted that dream was entirely made up of fiction, without a single reason why.

_'Where does that leave me, though...?' _I let out a sigh. My mind was still foggy from waking up, and though I didn't want to push myself, I had questions - and only I could reach the answers. _'What the hell... this doesn't make any sense...' _

_Thump, thump, thump. _My heart continued to beat.

I had to lay out the basics to finally start to understand.

Okay, so in the dream, I apparently had feelings for - _ugh, _Neo. That was the only part of the dream that struck me as odd, and yet, something itched in my head. Something told me that wasn't as false as I believed it to be. It wasn't farfetched, it wasn't just another ridiculous dream.

_Thump, thump, thump._

So... what did that mean?

_Thump..._

When the answers finally came to me, I stopped.

I was frozen in shock, from my own stupidity.

...did I... really love Neo?

That particular itchiness and discomfort faded. I knew the answer to that question already. Although on the outside I was surprised, and I'd convinced myself that I'd only realised it then...

...I'd known of the truth since the start, hadn't I? I'd just hidden it with so many lies, and tried to deny it for so long, that it didn't seem to matter to me. Now that the lies had vanished, and I could finally see it myself, I had no choice but to accept the truth.

I loved Neo.

And that wasn't a lie.

. . .

It was on that same day, that night, to be specific, when something out of the ordinary happened.

My mind had already been cleared out from the realisation that morning, but it was sent into a wave of confusion when I entered my dorm room. I'd stayed back at class for a few hours to catch up on a few more things, so when I slipped into the darkness-filled room, my other teammates were already in bed. I wasn't sure if they were asleep, but I was sure they wouldn't appreciate disturbance, either way.

I weaved my way through the room without a single noise, closing doors with the most careful motion I could, and tiptoe-ing with each step. I was ready to shut down and get some rest by the time I'd climbed onto my bed, yawns already taking over my body.

Instead of climbing onto a bare, made bed though, what I faced was something different.

The covers and blankets were crumpled, in more of a mess than I'd remembered leaving it in. My pillow was askew, barely sitting straight across the back wall, and looked almost as flat as the bed's mattress. What really caught my eyes though was the piece of paper sitting in the middle of my bed, its writing almost invisible in the darkness.

With a raised eyebrow, I slowly picked up the paper, trying to keep the crumples it made to a minimal. I had to squint my eyes and bring the paper up close to see the words scribbled in blank ink - I was extremely grateful that whoever wrote this had neat handwriting.

It only took me that brief moment to identify exactly who'd written the note, though.

The words, the writing, even the kind of paper - it all pointed to one particular person.

_"The worst night is coming."_

Neo.

But, what startled me more than the person who'd written the note was what was scribbled on the other side. Hastily this time, almost as if she was hesitant to write it in the first place, were the words...

Like a switch had been flicked on in my brain and sent waves of energy through me, all signs of fatigue wore away from my body. My eyes lit up through the night, and I became determined - I didn't care what time it was, or who I woke up in the process.

I _needed_ to see Neo.

There was no time to waste.

If she had been in my dorm room, close enough to leave a note on _my _bed, that meant she could have been nearby. She could have been anywhere. But I didn't care. I was _going _to find her, and that was that. There were no other options, but's, or endings.

Dropping from my bed onto the ground, note scrunched tightly in my hand, I bolted from the room. I was going to see Neo.

. . .

I'd realised after about ten minutes of searching that running around the school, with no set destination in mind, _and _while wearing socks wasn't the best idea. Rocks had already pierced through the fabric and into my foot on multiple occasions, stinging the skin that supported the rest of my body weight. I had to hold my winces though, as I could wake up anyone during the night. I wasn't supposed to be up, let alone, making noise.

By the time I'd passed the majority of rooms and hallways in the entire school, and covered the majority of school ground, I was contemplating giving up. Even the rooftop, where we re-encountered each other those months ago were empty, and no trace of the ice-cream girl were seen. The night breeze was freezing, sending chills up my spine.

_'I can never have my way, can I...?' _was what I began thinking, as my body pushed on through the hallways of Beacon. _'I can't say one little word, without it turning into some big lie... some part of my act, some form of deceit, or whatever... it really is terrible luck I've got, huh?' _

Most of the rooms were locked tight at this time of night, which wasn't surprising. It just narrowed down my list of possibilities. However, that list was quickly running out. I was running out of hope, too. _'Hah. Being fuelled by this stupid 'love' to find her, how pathetic can I get? This is useless.' _I'd already started to doubt myself.

_'Maybe... if I disappear somewhere... If I go back and start my journey alone, then... things would be easier.' _I wondered.

I walked through the open entrance of Beacon Academy, sighing into the night. That left me standing just outside the school, the sight of the dark sky covering the scenery above me. But, as I stared ahead of me, my heart pounded.

And for a moment there, I wore a smirk.

_'Hah. As if. There's no going back for me, now.'_

Fate or coincidence, I'd always wondered, but at that moment, I didn't care. Up ahead of me was a silhouette of someone who seemed familiar; of someone who set my heart off like no other person did. I could feel my courage and desperation spark in my chest, mixing together to create a whole new feeling of energy that I'd never experienced. I didn't have time to sit around and admire this, though - that person up ahead was walking away.

Without letting another second pass by, I kicked off the ground, rushing straight towards the figure up ahead. The shadow that engulfed their body gradually came to clear with each step I took, their identity revealing with each moment that passed by. With the wind blowing right past my face, I forced myself on forward, ignoring the pain, ignoring the lies in my head, ignoring everything I'd have done in the past.

That person - Neo was getting closer with each step, though at the same time, she was still the distance away from me. Whats worse, was that with her umbrella unfolded and her stance parallel to the ground, she looked like she was just about to leave the scene. She looked ready to teleport away in any second.

After all I'd come to realise, I wasn't about to let this chance slip away.

The note from earlier slipping from my hands, I outstretched an arm, screaming through the silence of night. _"Wait!" _Though my words seemed to fall on deaf ears, I noticed something else, something that told me she'd listened. Just like that night before, she dropped her umbrella to the ground, placing her hands over her ears.

Grinding my teeth up against each other, I didn't stop running, feet powering me from beneath. No, no, no, no, I wasn't going to allow her to get away, not now. No way, _no way _was I going to let her run. I wasn't going to, I wasn't going to, I wasn't going to...!

I didn't care if this was some stupid forbidden love, or if I wasn't supposed to feel this way. I didn't care if she hated me, or despised me, or even if those poisonous lies would taunt me once again. I knew that no matter what, I was going to reveal the truth, right then and there.

That was going to be the end of my lies.

Coming close in my vision was the other girl, and, taking this as my cue, I skidding to a halt. It wasn't a smooth stop; I stumbled a few steps before finally standing behind the other, drawing in deep, constant breaths. My hands were instantly reaching out towards her, grabbing her shoulders and spinning her around before my heart could get in another beat.

Meeting her surprised gaze with my own fire-lit eyes, my arms trembled. Just as our eyes met, her hands slipped from her ears, uncovering them - and I took that as my chance. Immediately, I grasped her hands in my own, leaving the note from earlier to slip and be swept away by the wind. Neo just stared straight at me, wide-eyed in awe.

I swear I felt her squeeze my hands back, as I intertwined our fingers. With my breath still erratic, and my heart throbbing in every part of my body, I came to accept my real feelings.

I finally revealed the truth.

And with all of my breath, I screamed the same words that were written on the other side of Neo's note.

_"I love you!"_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, looks like that's all for this one~ (wow this is my first completed story O.o)**

**I may, _may _write an epilogue if things really call for it, but... eh. It's a maybe at the moment, so don't get too excited. XD **

**Don't forget to leave your feedback with reviews, any comments are appreciated! You can check out my other stories too, but with whatever you choose to do...**

**Have a good day! :)**


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